A Space Oddity
by Windycindy
Summary: What do you do when your whole world is at risk ? The answer is quite simple. Anything. But as always - it's easier said than done.


Disclaimer - The Harry Potter universe does not belong to me, obviously. Nor do Draco Malfoy or Hermione Granger. Rest of the characters in the story do belong to me, though.

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Author's note - I wrote this story for a sci fi writing contest and have already submitted it. But seeing as I am a very impatient person I am dying to know what the readers think about it. I just changed the main characters' names to be able to post it here. I also changed the name of the story. Please let me know what you think.

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A SPACE ODDITY

The man dashed around the corner, panting, sweat beading at his brow. He had to tell someone. Anyone. And quick. He didn't know how anything like this was remotely possible. How something could go so spectacularly wrong. But observations, facts, they can never be wrong. He had seen it with his own eyes. There must have been a mistake in the original data.

He crashed into someone and it sent them both toppling to the floor. A delicately uttered curse sounded from somewhere to his left and he finally looked up catching his old professor's eye.

"Dr. Granger - "

"What are you doing running through the building like a bat out of hell, Anderson ?"

"Pr-professor, you have co-come with me right now. Y-you have to see t-this."

His stammering had never felt more like a curse than it did at that moment. He always stammered when he was scared or nervous and right now he was both. It certainly didn't help any. But Dr. Granger had known him for a long time and was familiar with this particular quirk, which was why she didn't deem it necessary to question him any further and just gestured for him to lead the way.

Room 57 was situated in the bowels of the Alpha Station. Everything that happened in the Room was top secret and only few were privy to the goings-on of the room. The fact that he'd been about to declare to the entire world of the disaster that was brewing there right now didn't escape the woman's notice. She understood that he was overwhelmed but they hadn't spent millions on the training of the few who they considered their best, only for them to become unhinged when their talents were most required.

"I want you to get the President on line for me, Anderson. "

He stared at her for a beat, seemingly unable to comprehend her calm aura at a time such as this but past experiences had taught him better than to question her. He nodded and rushed out.

* * *

The loud ringing woke up the little girl and the man dozing in the chair beside her bed. The man looked at the source of the irritating noise with mild disdain but picked it up nonetheless, if only to stop the ringing.

"What is it ?" He wasn't usually this brusque while dealing with his staff but now was really not the best of times. He had finally gotten his daughter Olivia to fall asleep and now that she was awake her fever was starting to kick back in if the slightly sour look on her face was anything to go by.

"Sir, Dr. Granger would like to speak with you. Should I put her on the line ?"

" At this hour ? What is it about ? "

"She refuses to say, Sir."

He sighed. "Put her on."

There was a brief moment of silence.

"I apologize for disturbing you at this hour, Draco. But it was urgent. I am sure you understand."

" It's two in the morning, Hermione. There better be a good reason for you to call. "

"You need to get down to the Station right now. There's something you need to see."

" It's two in the damn morning. And you know Olivia is sick. You should be here. Not at the Station. What was so important that it took precedence over your own daughter ? "

"Oh I don't know. How about an asteroid aiming straight for the Earth that was not in our data due to some fool who couldn't perform simple calculations. Does that seem important enough to you, President Malfoy ?"

If he had learned anything about the woman in the years they had been, it was that she rarely lost control of herself. The woman remained stoic even during the most difficult situations. Which was how he knew that something must be very wrong indeed.

"I'll be with you shortly."

* * *

Room 57 was, simply put, a wreck. The best scientists the country had to offer were rushing around the room like chickens with their heads cut off. His presence went mostly unnoticed as he walked to the front of the room where multiple maps and obscure, to him at least, data was being projected on a huge screen. Standing there, with some people in lab coats, was the source of his vexation.

" Can someone, please, explain to me what is going on here ? "

One of the scientists surrounding his ex-wife smiled at him, although it seemed quite tense.

"Mr. President. Glad to have you join us. Please take a seat. Dr. Granger will explain everything shortly. "

None of them waited for his reply as they stepped onto the podium. He sighed and took the vacant chair at the front. It seemed he would have to wait a little longer.

There seemed to be some kind of disagreement amongst the people on the podium but one of the older looking scientists, Charles Campbell, if he remembered correctly, slammed his hand down on the table and hissed something that they all seemed to agree with. Finally, Hermione turned to microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you would all please take your seats."

She waited a few seconds for everyone to settle down and then continued.

"It has come to our attention that there has been a mistake in the data that was used for mapping the trajectory of 99942 Apophis. According to earlier calculations it should have passed our planet quite safely, giving it and us, a wide berth. But recent observations have shown us that, that is not the case."

She pressed a button on the remote in her hand and gestured to the screen behind her.

"If you would look closely, it is clearly apparent that, rather than steering clear of our planet, it is instead, aiming straight for us."

There was an immediate uproar.

"But the data was - "

"What are we going to - "

"When is it - "

"We need to do - "

It would have been amusing to watch the brightest minds of the world lose their heads with fear if he had not known the cause behind this. He was almost certain he was about to lose his. Hermione and Dr. Campbell where talking in hushed voices, still standing near the microphone. He saw Campbell nod and Hermione turned back to the mayhem that they had caused.

"Everyone, please calm down and move to Room 45 where you will be provided with all the information that you need to start working on a possible solution. Thank you. "

There was a slight commotion as everyone started to clear out. He sat still in his chair, trapped in own mind. How was this even possible ? He remembered the time this asteroid had been first discovered. He had been working for the Vice-President at the time. There had been some uncertainty at the beginning but they had been so sure by the end that no one thought of questioning anything. A slight pressure on his shoulder brought him out of his reverie. He saw Hermione standing beside him, tense and apprehensive. He couldn't contain himself any more.

"It took you 25 years - "

"Draco - "

"Let me finish. It took you 25 years to realize that there was a miscalculation? 25 years ? What was it ? 2004 ? When you first started working here. You were a part of the team that was mapping the course of that asteroid. So tell me, how is it that it took you 25 years to realize your mistake ?"

"You know very well that there was a slight probability that we were wrong. And asteroids - they can change courses."

He had a lot to say to her about probabilities and mistakes but nothing that took precedence over the matter at hand. "

"How long ?" " Six months. "

He pinched the bridge of his nose. Brilliant.

"What can we do ?"

" That's what we need to think about. Come with me. "

She didn't wait to see if he was following her and walked on briskly. The scientists that were accompanying her earlier were all settled down around an oak table in the middle of the room.

They all stood up on seeing them approach. He nodded in greeting and gestured for them to resume their seats.

"Dr. Granger, we don't have enough time to throw it off course. Deportation to the nearest bunkers is our most viable option."

It was the women that had first greeted him. He didn't know her name.

"There aren't enough bunkers. And even if started deportation, what are we going to tell the public. That they majority of them are going to die because of a slight miscalculation ? Good luck with that. "

"We could blow it up. Nuclear missiles ?"

This was getting out of hand.

"Need I remind you all that it is illegal to place any sort of nuclear weaponry in Earth's orbit."

"Illegal is not what makes this our last resort, Draco. We are talking about launching an atomic bomb near the Earth. The amount of radioactivity that could leak into the atmosphere is unimaginable. We'll be looking at a nuclear winter for years to come. Not to mention our already fragile ozone layer which would take the major brunt of it. It is simply not an option."

" Then what do you propose we do ? " He asked.

There was a momentary silence where everyone was suddenly struck by their helplessness. There weren't a lot of options that would work on such short notice.

"We are doomed." He didn't want to agree with young man but it certainly seemed like it.

" Well, unless... "

They all looked at Dr. Campbell. He looked unsure but there was a glint in his eyes that he couldn't quite recognize. Desperation ? Fear ? He couldn't say. But he sure wanted to know what he had to say.

"Unless we used PERSES."

Hermione looked at the old doctor as if he had grown two heads.

"It's not ready Professor. You know that. We still have to run some final tests."

"What other option do we have Granger, you tell me. Sending people there to manually throw it off course will take too long. Nuclear weapons are out of the question. The cons will outweigh the pros by a ton."

"I fear I am starting to sound like a broken record but I have to ask. What is PERSES and why have I not been told about it ?"  
He hated being kept in the dark, especially when people's lives were on the line.

"You know about it, Draco. We used to call it ICARUS but we changed the name. Everyone thought it was too... morbid. It basically meant failure due to arrogance. Hardly something that instills hope in people, you see. So now we call it PERSES, the destroyer. It fits." Hermione replied, a wry smile playing across her lips.

"How much time do you need to run the final tests ?"

" A few months. It doesn't matter though. It won't be enough. PERSES wasn't meant for galactic warfare. We'll need the most powerful missiles mankind has ever made. And we need to launch them at a specific time. We have to observe the Apophis, to track its movements. It's a lot of work and not enough people. "

"Well, it's not only our problem. The future of our planet is at stake. We'll bring scientists from all over the world, if that's what it takes. Now, if you will excuse me, I have some calls to make. Start preparing for the tests. We don't have time."

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FOUR MONTHS LATER

The single red dot on the screen felt like a noose around the neck of every single person in Room 57. It kept tightening and all they could do was wait for the right moment to snatch it and rip it off their necks. It would burn, sure, but the fresh air that would fill their lungs would be worth every scar.

Every single person around the world who was aware of the sword hanging over their heads was either staring at a watch or the red dot.

"How much longer ?" someone asked.

" 15 seconds. "

The room took a collective breath as if it was to be their last. And it might as well be, if they failed today. They had one shot at this. Just one shot that would decide mankind's fate. It seemed too harsh. Maybe this is what they call Karma.

"It feels like Judgement Day." Draco remarked quietly from beside her.

"Not today Draco. Not today." Her voice wavered slightly despite of the conviction she tried to portray.

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye but didn't comment. Ten seconds and missiles will be launched from all over the world, PERSES leading them. It was the most deadly weapon ever created by man and it had taken years to make it. What it was going to be used for wasn't it's initial purpose but it gave her peace to know that it will be used to protect the people rather than kill them. And if it didn't work... Well, she wouldn't have to live with the guilt for long.

"Five seconds left. Beginning countdown."

"5..."

"4..."

"3..."

"2..."

"1..."

" Launching PERSES 43605. "

The silence that followed was deafening in its intensity. All eyes were glued to the screen as they saw hundreds of tiny specks move towards the red dot. They watched in fascination as the PERSES collided with the asteroid, closely followed by the smaller missiles. A huge chunk had broken off the Apophis and was moving away from the mayhem.

"Anderson, track that part that just broke off. It's worrying me." She told the young man.

The entire asteroid which was now a bunch of smaller rocks was just a tiny ball of fire at this point. But were hardly out of the woods yet. If this ball of fire moved towards the Earth, they would have a whole new mess to deal with.

"Dr. Granger, the entire mass is disinterested. The rocks are separating from each other. A few of them are moving towards the Earth but they are small enough that they'll be destroyed in the atmosphere."

" What about the big one ? "

"It will mostly break down in the atmosphere but a sizable part will still reach the ground. Most probably towards South Dakota."

" Find out the coordinates and get people to evacuate the area. Quick. We don't have much time. "

She sighed, leaning against the wall, suddenly feeling very tired. They had done it. She couldn't believe they had actually done it. Of course, the remnant of the asteroid moving towards Dakota would cause heavy loss of property but that was a tiny bruise compared to the catastrophe that had been staring them in the face.

Feeling someone staring at her, she looked around, everyone was understandably, overjoyed. There was probably going to be a celebration now. But all she wanted was to go home and sleep for days. After seeing her daughter of course. God knows she had hardly paid any attention to her these last few months. Well, neither had Draco. They would have to make it up to her. But she was sure Olivia would understand. She was a good kid.

"Tired ?" A voice asked from behind her. Draco walked to around to face her. She smiled.

" Very tired. You ? "

"I could sleep right here on the floor."

She laughed lightly. "There'll be no need of that. I don't think you will be able to anyway. This place is going to resemble a nightclub come morning."

"Well, who knew these lab coats could be such party animals ?"

" You did. "

"Ah, right, of course. How could I forget ? My very own lab coat liked to party like there was no tomorrow." He teased .

"That was years ago. Things have changed now."

"So they have."

A moment of uncomfortable silence blanketed them both as they lost themselves in memories of good old days. Loud laughter startled them and they turned around to see a man trying to do the moon walk. They laughed and the moment was broken.

"You should get some sleep. You have a flight tomorrow."

"You need to get some rest too. You look like you will drop any second now. "

"It sure feels like it."

" Well, good night then. I'll see you tomorrow morning. Hopefully. "

"Yeah."

She watched him walk away and started towards her the staff quarters. Saving the world was tiresome, to say the least.

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Thanks for reading!


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